Published: October 10, 2017, words by John Carter

Peter Simon aka DJ Madd has been an essential cog in the Dubstep machine since his inception in 2008. His love for the connection between underground bass music and Reggae was of course honed when he made the essential move from Budapest to Bristol. Having been championed by UK bass music’s key players such as Skream and Mary Anne Hobbs, his crisp and emotive Dubstep and Drum & Bass productions have graced the ears of most who have ventured towards these realms.

Fast forward to now and DJ Madd remains on the pulse. His 2016 white label for 1Drop took Pharoah Monch’s ‘Simon Says’, stripped it, slowed it, and turned it into a face-screwing club shaker. His ability to create high class bass music is evident, however it has not all been plain-sailing. Peter has struggled with tinnitus for the majority of his adult life. Here, in support of All Ears, DJ Madd talks about his experiences with the condition and provides us with his “tracks for tired ears.”

“I’ve had tinnitus for quite a long time now. I can’t really remember when it started, I guess after some gigs one morning it just didn’t fade out. It’s not just a single tone either, more like two different tones that come and go, with a constant one in my right ear.

“It’s one of those things that’s as big of a deal as you make it, though I have a feeling mine is far from anything extreme. I do have days when I notice it more, and funny enough when I start to go on a Google/Reddit rampage to get more info on it, then I can hear it much louder. For most periods I can tune it out now and I’ve learned to live with it.

“I stopped using headphones early on in high-school for anything other than mixing and that has stuck with me ever since. I would advise to at least try to do this if you’re planning to keep working with your ears. When you’re on a packed subway and you can hear the trappy hi-hats the guy is listening to at the other end of the coach – you have no idea how bad that is on a daily basis.

“As for prevention, I think most people know about the custom moulded earplugs by now – you should get those yesterday if you know what I mean! One thing that still seems to be at the bottom of the list for promoters is good quality monitor speakers for the DJ booth. A lot of events have proper sound now, but the same amazing event for party-goers can be torture for the DJ up there if the monitors are distorted, horrible quality speakers. Not to mention you will instinctively raise the volume, redline the mixer, and still struggle to enjoy a mix. This is a biggie for me because I just can’t enjoy mixing with earplugs.”

Brian Eno

Ambient 1 (Music for Airports)

“I actually got into this because of the title. I wanted something for those long after-gig flights, and I figured lets see how this holds up at airports. I remember my ears ringing heavily after a gig and putting on noise-cancelling headphones just amplified that, so I put this on and it was pure bliss. Definitely a good one to space out and mask that pesky ringing!”

Bob Marley and The Wailers

One Love/People Get Ready (Photek Remix)

“Such a classy remix from the legend Photek! I had no idea where he was going to take it, but he definitely delivered. When your ears are tired you don’t want any crazy high-end sounds – this is perfect for just that. I also think if you know a certain track – and who doesn’t know the original? – you instantly switch off, and pay more attention to the good memories it brings up. Half the battle with tinnitus is taking your mind off it, so tunes like this are great for that.”

Thievery Corporation

Amerimacka

“I got into Thievery Corporation a bit late, but this track has been popping up often in my playlists these past couple years. It’s also a good track to signal the end of the night when you’re hosting a little gathering, nothing too harsh in there but still got that groove going.”

Rhythm & Sound

Carrier

“Dub Techno is generally a very good genre to give your ears a little break. Rhythm & Sound are the champions of this genre, and you can’t go wrong with anything they’ve touched. If you’re into it, I would also drop a +1 which is ”Masters of Dub Techno” by Maurizio. That mix has a bit more sounds in the higher end of the spectrum but it doesn’t need any extreme listening levels to enjoy it – definitely one to check out!”